Crate training fun...

ok so the previous owners didn't crate train Lucy. I have a crate for her she's ok with it but won't really spend to much time in there...il be spending this week crate training...any tips you guys found handy that you could pass on to me? would be much appreciated

I'm in need of some of these tips too. Monty can be a bit of a nightmare to get in his crate. He NEVER goes in at bed time, I have to put him in, and he barks. I guess it doesn't help his crate is in the living room, and when it's time for his bedtime, everyone is still up (but we turn the lights down).

The room where her crate is going to live gets pretty chilly...we have our tortoise in there but has a heat lamp for the day and his natural habitat are desert conditions so he expects it to be really cold at night anyway so we have his lamp on a timer so it turns off at night!

I'm think of putting a heat pad for her bedding but she sleeps in our bed at night anyway and she will only be in there when I've got to pop out or if we have a house guest that is a little nervous around dogs ( even though no1 has been yet..she's a very good pup) so not often... but I guess that would be why training would be difficult....ahhhh guidance please lol

Make the crate a place where she will feel safe. At first lure her inside with treats. If you force her into the crate she might grow to dislike it and not want to go inside. It also helps if she is tired and wants to go to sleep.

Place a blanket over the crate so it is warmer and nice and dark. Keep toys or something inside for her to chew as well.

we just used to say to billy in your crate bedtime and he did, but maybe we were just lucky. I would put a couple of treats in there and a nice toy that would not hurt him

I have a blanket over Bella's crate then inside she has a t-shirt of mine, a couple of toys and a hot waterbottle in a cover. She settles in it as long as she can't see whats going on. At first she would only go in for short spells but now she sleeps all night in it.

Yeah I was thinking about putting a blanket over it...that's a what a den is really about after all

well she settled well init last night...tried treats and chew toys with her special blanky I got her last week with a towel underneath for extra cosyness and she wined a little once I said "shhh bed" and she just went to sleep next sound was snoring hahaha so far so good! now its just helping her settle when i go out n shes left init!!!

Good to hear

Thats great!

so do I just do the same for when im going out...im sure she'll just sleep once she's in there...lol

I do the same thing with Bella when I'm going out or going to bed. Its worked so far so fingers crossed it stays that way lol

brill cheers il give it ago

Good luck with the crate training. We couldn't get away with it with Ollie, he cried all night, which isn't fair on our upstairs neighbour.
x

aww thank you! Lucy didn't cry...she whined once but then settled really quickly! she may cry when i pop out but im not sure...I have a feeling she will be ok!

Whenever my OH gets ready for work shes wondering around the house with him...he takes her out in the morning for a qucik run around then comes back in for her breaky...she destroyed his books last week as when he leaves she gets sad and whines....but this morning in the crate she handled it alot better and just chilled out lol

Gummi and I have been playing Crate Games

This may sound odd but we have never done any training with Rocky and his crate (house as we call it). We just put it in the hall the day we came home with him and put some nice snuggley blankets in there along with one of Andy's old jumpers.
We just left the door open as it always has been. Rocky just goes in as and when he pleases. I guess we were just very lucky with him. He loves his house. Whenever we have to go out without him he will just go in there as soon as we lock the back door and that's that.

Yeah, thats kinda how I want Lucy to treat hers eventually...It's easier when you do it all when ya get them home as pups but Lucy's previous owners didn't do that with her, so im having to start from scratch with a 5 month!

we're getting there though shes learning and liking it really quickly...shes a clever pup